by Lori Wilde
After repeated attempts, she resorted to banging on the suitcase. She wasn’t in the mood to fight with her clothes right now. She just wanted to go back to Austin and start working on fixing her broken heart.
She was banging so hard on the suitcase that it took her a minute to realize someone was knocking on her door. She fought back the thrill of excitement she felt. It wouldn’t be Nathan. He had avoided her as much as she’d avoided him since they’d gotten back from Dallas yesterday.
When she opened her door, Leigh stood outside. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
Leigh frowned. “You look like hell.”
Emma imagined she did. “I’ve been packing to go back to Austin.”
“I thought you weren’t leaving for another three days?”
Emma shrugged. “I decided there was nothing left for me to do here, so I might as well head on home.”
With a snort, Leigh said, “No offense, but you’re a terrible liar.”
“What? I’m not lying. I’m—”
Cutting Emma off, Leigh continued, “You’re lying to me, and you’re lying to yourself. You love Nathan, and you know it. Everyone in town knows it.”
“We don’t love each other,” Emma said, but rather than a stern protest, the words came out as almost a sigh.
Leigh snorted again. “Don’t throw away happiness, Emma.”
“Leigh, even if we did love each other, it could never work. I have to think of my father. He and I have plans.”
“Have you asked him what he thinks you should do?”
“No,” Emma admitted.
“You should,” Leigh said. Then she turned and headed down the stairs. “Talk to you later. I just thought of something I need to do. But before you leave, Emma, call your father. Tell him what’s happening.”
Emma stood at the top of the stairs to her apartment, staring after Leigh. Her friend was wrong. Dead wrong. Asking her father what he thought was unfair. She’d made promises to him. Promises she couldn’t break.
Shutting the door, Emma glared at her suitcase.
Shirts and jeans hung out the sides like the arms of an octopus. Maybe she could find a box or a bag around here and put some of the clothes into it. She went over to the closet and poked around, finally finding an old box in the back. After snagging the box, she was all set to toss her errant clothes inside when she realized the box wasn’t empty. It contained several framed pictures.
Despite herself, Emma sat on the sofa and took out a few of the pictures. They were of Nathan and his brothers and sister. In each shot, the four of them were clowning and joking and laughing. The Barrett siblings might fuss, but they really loved each other a lot.
“They’re so lucky.” She rooted through the box and brought out the remaining two pictures. One was a school portrait of Leigh. Emma figured her friend was in first or second grade in the picture. She had a big green and blue bow on the top of her head and looked ready to kill the photographer.
Emma laughed, then looked at the last picture. It was of Nathan at approximately the same age. He was missing his two front teeth, but that didn’t stop him from flashing a killer smile at the photographer.
Always the charmer. Even in grade school.
Emma traced her thumb across his face and felt the warmth of tears on her cheeks. Drat. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t cry. Crying was silly and useless. She’d made the right decision. She had. Leaving was the right thing to do.
“Stop it right now,” she said. “I mean it. Stop crying right now, or I won’t buy any fudge ripple ice cream for a month.”
Despite her threat, the tears kept falling.
“This is ridiculous,” she said, sniffling. She headed toward the kitchen and grabbed a tissue. Blotting the tears didn’t seem to help, either. Nothing seemed to help.
Without thinking, she grabbed the phone and dialed. Her father answered on the first ring.
“Emma, dear, it’s so good to hear from you. I was talking to Marge Adler today. She teaches American Literature and like the rest of the English Department, can’t wait for you to arrive.”
Emma sniffled. Oh terrific. More waterworks. “That’s great,” she said, hoping her overly cheerful voice would cover up the sounds of her crying.
A long, long, long silence greeted her. Finally, her father asked, “Emma, are you crying?”
The way he said the word crying made it clear he hadn’t a clue what to do with a daughter in tears.
“Um, a little. I’m really looking forward to moving to Wyneheart and spending time with you, but I’m also going to miss Honey.”
“I see. Do you always cry when you move?”
“No.” She never cried. Ever. Well, hardly ever. The only other time she could remember crying was when her mother passed away. But moving never made her cry. It mostly filled her with anticipation, not with sorrow.
“So this Honey is a special town?”
She thought about that. Yes, Honey was special, at least it was to her. She’d met a lot of terrific people here, many of whom she considered friends.
And she was definitely going to miss Rufus. Saying hi to him on the way by each morning while she was jogging was one of the bright spots of her day. In fact, she was almost convinced that sooner or later, Rufus would actually wag his tail for her. It could be wishful thinking, of course, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a possibility.
“Emma, are you still there?” her father asked.
“Yes. And yes, Honey is special.”
“I see. Well, Wyneheart is a special town as well. Filled with very charming people.”
Emma sighed. Charming. Yes, she was sure Wyneheart had charming residents. But they weren’t charming in the way that Nathan was. The man could charm the snow out of the sky on an August afternoon.
“I sense there’s more to your sadness than missing Honey. Want to tell me what’s really wrong?”
Despite Leigh’s suggestion, Emma hadn’t intended on pouring her heart out to her father, but the next thing she knew, she blurted, “I’m in love with Nathan Barrett.”
“I see.”
“And his company is the only reason the town of Honey is still thriving. If he were to move his business, the town would be reduced to tumbleweeds.”
“I see.”
“So he can’t possibly follow me.”
“I see.”
“And if I stay here, then I don’t get to teach at Wyneheart or spend time with you.”
“I see.”
Emma sighed. “But even though I know leaving here is the right decision, I can’t seem to stop crying.”
“I see.”
Despite how upset she was, Emma sighed. Her father was trying, but she had to admit, he was really bad at this comforting thing.
“Anyway, Dad, that’s why I’m crying. But I guess in time I’ll feel better,” she admitted. “I’m just down right now.”
“Nonsense.”
Okay, she’d accepted that he wasn’t good at comforting, but calling her emotions nonsense seemed a trifle harsh.
“I’m not usually so weepy about things,” she said in her own defense.
“No, I didn’t mean how you felt was nonsense; I meant your plan.”
Emma frowned. “Dad, I think maybe I should just call back later.”
“No. I need to tell you something that will make you feel much better. I love you, Emma.”
Well, that did make her feel somewhat better. She liked knowing she had her father’s love. “I love you, too, Dad.”
“Good. Then there’s something you can do for me.”
“What?”
“Stay in Honey with Nathan.”
She blinked. “But, Dad, what about you and the job and my future?”
“I never got the chance to be much of a father to you when you were growing up, Emma. I’ve always regretted that. But today, I’m getting my chance. The most important thing in the world to me is that you’re happy. And dear, love is too pr
ecious to walk away from. If you really love Nathan, you should be with him. Now I’ll finally have a reason to use those frequent flyer miles I’ve been accruing. I’ll come visit, quite often as a matter of fact. And you have to promise to come visit me as well.”
“But what about the job you had lined up for me?”
“You’re very smart. You can find another one at the University of Texas or any of the other colleges around. I’ll help you in any way I can.”
Emma felt more tears trickle down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe how sweet her father was. How had she been so blessed to have two great men in her life?
“Emma, dear, are you crying again?”
“I love you, Dad.”
“I love you, too. Now go find Nathan, ask him to marry you, then get on a flight to Massachusetts and introduce me to him. I never got to play the part of a stern father interrogating his daughter’s beau. I don’t want to miss my chance.”
Emma laughed, knowing her father was going to love Nathan as much as she did.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Just don’t be surprised if I also find myself a teaching position in Texas. I want to be around when the grandchildren arrive.”
Emma felt more tears come, and this time she didn’t even try to stop them. Her life had suddenly become too wonderful for words.
“You’re an idiot,” Leigh said the second she walked into Nathan’s office.
“If I agree, will you go home?”
She rolled her eyes. “As if. Now what are you going to do about this?”
Nathan held on to the slim hope that his sister wasn’t talking about his relationship with Emma. “What am I going to do about what?”
“You know good and well about what. Emma. You. The fact that even Rufus is smart enough to know the two of you belong together. So why are you letting her leave?”
Nathan had asked himself the same question a million times even though he knew the answer.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I can’t ask Emma to give up her future and stay here. And I can’t very well go with her since that would mean the end of Barrett Software.”
Leigh sighed. “Jeez, Nathan, you have the most complicated problems. Okay, I’ll admit you’d be a real jerk if you asked her to stay. But would the company really fold if you lived someplace else?”
Unfortunately, the past few weeks had shown him what a vital part he was to the company. When Simplify had run into problems, he’d done everything from some coding to helping with design problems and finally pitching in on the testing.
“Yes. Barrett Software needs me.”
“Can’t the company come with you? Can’t you relocate?”
Nathan gave his sister a pointed look. “And what would this town do for revenue? A large portion of the town works for me.”
“Okay. Okay. But what if you sell the company to someone else?”
“What if that someone else moves the company?”
Leigh groaned and slapped his desk. “Stop finding negatives. Look for positives.”
He felt compelled to point out, “There aren’t a lot of positives, Leigh.”
“There’s the most important positive—you and Emma love each other.”
“You seem awfully certain of that.”
Leigh nodded. “I am.”
Nathan smiled at his sister’s confidence. “You sure you’re not just trying to get me so distracted that I’ll leave you alone?”
She grinned. “I’ll admit, it’s a definite upside. But seriously, I’m glad you found someone perfect for you. Now stop being such an idiot and work this out. You’re a smart guy. You solve big problems every day. You need to solve this one, too. Don’t let her get away, Nathan. You know you’ll never find someone like her again.” Finally, she added softly, “She’s really leaving, Nathan. You can’t let that happen.”
Nathan knew his sister was right. He couldn’t let Emma leave, at least not alone. He needed her in his life. As much as it seemed selfish to sell the company just so he could be with the woman he loved, he also knew he’d regret it forever if he didn’t do everything in his power to make things work with Emma.
He’d just have to make absolutely certain that whatever company he sold Barrett Software to would treat the employees right and leave the headquarters here in Honey. If he handled this correctly, he could have Emma in his life without destroying the town or the lives of the people who worked for him. Sure, he’d miss Barrett Software. He’d miss it a lot.
But not as much as he’d miss Emma if he let her leave.
“I’ll find a buyer for the company,” he announced to his sister. “Of course, they’ll have to promise to keep it based here in Honey, so it may take me a little while. But you’re right. I can’t let Emma out of my life.”
“Now you’re talking,” Leigh said with a grin. “So go tell Emma before she heads back to Austin.”
By the time Leigh finished speaking, Nathan was already halfway to the door.
Emma was all set to go find Nathan when there was a knock at her door. A thrill of excitement danced through her, and she knew before she even opened the door that this time, it was Nathan.
“Hi,” she said after opening the door.
He grinned and leaned against the doorjamb.
“Hi, yourself. Guess what?”
“Wait. I have something to tell you,” she said, anticipation bubbling inside of her.
“Nope, sorry, but this time I’m not doing ladies first. I need to tell you my news before you can tell me your news.”
She couldn’t keep herself from smiling. “I thought you were raised better than that.”
“No. That’s just a rumor.” He glanced beyond her. “May I come inside?”
“You own the place.” She pushed the door open wider. “Make yourself at home.”
He walked past her and sat on the couch. Emma barely kept from hugging him on the way by. But she’d let him tell her his news first. It wouldn’t be easy to wait, but she’d do it. She settled next to him and smiled.
“So, what do you want to tell me?”
“I’ve decided to sell Barrett Software.”
Emma couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “But what about the employees? What about Honey?”
“I’ll find a company to buy me out that will promise not to move the headquarters.”
“You can make such stipulations?”
He nodded. “Pretty much.”
“You don’t sound very positive.”
“Emma, don’t you see? This way we can be together.”
She couldn’t believe how much he loved her. He was willing to sell Barrett Software and move away from Honey just to be with her. “You’d really do all that? For me?”
He leaned over and kissed her deeply. “You mean everything to me. I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep you in my life.”
Emma blinked back tears of joy. “Really? Because I feel the same way. And as much as I appreciate your willingness to sell your company, it won’t be necessary. One of the things I love about you is how loyal you are to your family and to Honey.”
“I’ll make certain they’re both fine before I leave for Massachusetts,” he assured her. “I want to be with you.”
“Nathan, you can’t take the risk that your employees would have to move. Even if you got promises in writing from the buyer, something could go wrong.”
He took one of her hands in his own. “I’ll make certain nothing goes wrong. I promise.”
She shook her head. “That’s not good enough. If the new owners decided to move, you couldn’t stop them. Then what would happen to Honey? To the employees? To Rufus? Let’s face it, we know it’s almost impossible to move him.”
“That won’t happen,” he assured her again. “And not just because it would be impossible to move Rufus. Because I’d never let anything bad happen to this town.”
She placed one hand on the side of his face, loving him, loving being abl
e to touch him like this. “That’s exactly why we’re not going to Massachusetts. I spoke to my father, and he agrees with me. I can find another job at a university close to Honey. And we can visit Dad often, and he’ll visit us. But...”
He raised one eyebrow. “But?”
“I can never find another man as wonderful as you.”
Again, he leaned over and kissed her. This time, the kiss caught fire, and Emma suggested, “Want to move to the bed and continue this discussion?”
Nathan pretended to be shocked. “Ms. Montgomery, what sort of man do you think I am?”
“A wonderful, terrific, magnificent, fantastic man who I hope to spend the rest of my life with.”
He brushed her lips with his. “And you’re the most amazing, fascinating, exciting woman I’ve ever met. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she said on a sigh.
He kissed her hand. “I promise you, Emma, that I’ll do whatever it takes to make all of your dreams come true. I won’t let you down.”
“Same back at you, hotshot,” she said, knowing their life together was going to be filled with love and hope and promise. They would work together to make certain they both got what they wanted and needed from life.
This time when he kissed her, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, unable to believe how lucky she was.
“Wow,” Nathan said when they finally ended the kiss. “That was something else.”
“Honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” she teased.
Nathan had a definite twinkle in his eyes. “Hey, is that any way for an English major to talk?”
“It’s perfectly acceptable if she’s an English major in love,” Emma said. “And I am most definitely an English major in love.”
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